Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) analysis is a useful tool for solving structural problems in biochemistry, immunology, genetics and biology. Samples are ionized and a time of flight (TOF) analyzer is used to measure ion masses. TOF analysis begins when ions are formed and are accelerated to a constant kinetic energy as they enter a drift region. They arrive at a detector following flight times that are proportional to the square root of their masses. A mass spectrum is created because ions of different mass arrive at the detector at different times.
Mass spectrometry can be a particularly powerful tool in the fields of drug discovery and development, genotyping, and proteome research. Current trends in research are to analyze larger and larger numbers of samples using automated handling equipment or robotics. Quantities of individual samples are from the nano-mole levels to femto-mole levels. As a result, instrumentation is becoming more sensitive and a need exists for sample handling formats to be miniaturized, high density and disposable.
In-gel digestion of protein is a proteomics method that has many sample preparation steps prior to sample analysis (such as by MALDI TOF MS). Briefly, upon separation in the electrophoresis gel, the proteins in a sample are stained for detection and portions of the gel containing the protein of interest are excised. The stain is then removed from these gel portions, and an enzyme solution is used to selectively digest the protein sample to form peptides that migrate out of the gel portion into solution. After purification of the peptides, analysis of the sample is carried out.
Simultaneous preparation and analysis of multiple samples is often desirable. Multiwell plates have been developed for simultaneous assay, typically consisting of 96, 384 or 1536 reaction vessels or wells per plate. It would be desirable to use multiwell plates also for sample handling and preparation, such as the removal of undesired salts and biochemical substances to improve the resolution and selectivity of the mass spectrum.
In this connection, EP 1 151 793 discloses a microtiter plate having lyophobic porous bottoms. Gel pieces containing proteins are placed in the wells of the plate and digested with enzyme. The enzyme is then removed from the gel pieces by centrifugation and applied to a MALDI sample carrier plate for analysis.
However, using centrifugation to bind, wash and elute is a time-consuming process. In addition, it is not easily adaptable to automation or robotics. It would be highly desirable to use the microtiter plate format for enzyme digestion and protein capture that does not require centrifugation, and that is readily adaptable to automation.
Another difficulty is that the gel plugs are deformable and have a similar diameter to the cone-shaped drain outlet of the plate. When vacuum filtered, the gel plugs clog the outlet, causing the well either to not drain or overflow with multiple solution additions, thus contaminating adjacent wells.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sample preparation method for desalting and purification of samples prior to matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) or electro-spray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry or other analysis methods, that also can be used for digestion of protein, particularly in-gel digestion.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a high-density multi-well device wherein various arrays within the device contain chromatographic media having the same or different chemistries, and wherein in-gel digestion of protein is carried out using vacuum as a driving force.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sample preparation system and method that is suitable for automated robotics liquid handling equipment.
These and other objects will be made apparent by the following description.